1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to internal combustion engines and more particularly to an apparatus for the reduction of shockwaves and regions of pressure differential occurring within the intake manifold.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to achieve optimum operational characteristics in an internal combustion engine, proper fuel mixture adequately filing the combustion chamber must occur. Many internal combustion engines are tuned for optimum performance at specific operational levels where majority of the engine use occurs. At lower engine speeds, poor operational characteristics may occur, including poor air-fuel mixture and insufficient filling of the combustion chamber. This results from the inherent design and operational characteristics of the engine. Typically, during the intake phase of the engine, a column of air is pulled in a forward direction toward the piston proceeding through the carburetor venturi where it is mixed with fuel and flows into the intake manifold. The air-fuel mixture then passes into one or more of the cylinder combustion chambers passing by a valving means. As the piston changes direction and starts to compress the air-fuel mixture, the valve means begin to close, however, a portion of the air-fuel mixture escapes rearwardly until the valve means is sealed. Further, a shockwave is created, passing through the closing valving means and into the intake manifold. The column of air-fuel mixture within the intake manifold continues to flow toward the piston due to its own inertia. This moving column of air-fuel mixture is intersected by the escaping shockwave and reverse flowing air-fuel mixture then proceeds toward the closed valve means causing an increase of pressure and other shockwaves. The cumulative result being a series of reverse flowing shockwaves passing back through the intake manifold, increased pressures of the air-fuel mixture at the closed valve resulting in a reserve flow of the air-fuel mixture back through the intake manifold, with some of the air-fuel mixture passing back out through the carburetor venturi, only to subsequently pass forward through the carburetor venturi, thus being a super enriched air-fuel mixture. Further during the flow of the shockwave and reverse pressure within the intake manifold, the complete atomization of the fuel ceases and precipitation of the fuel onto the walls of the intake manifold begins to occur. The overall result being an incorrect mixture of the air-fuel and a resulting incomplete combustion of the mixture producing less than optimum operating characteristics in terms of power, exhaust polutents and fuel efficiency.
In the past there have been many attempts to minimize or prevent these conditions from occuring. Typically, these include a plenum chamber disposed away from the intake manifold and connected to the intake manifold. Examples of these chambers include Matsuo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,698; Sakaoka, U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,798; Ishida, U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,329; Malphettes U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,415 and Hunt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,454. Many different configurations of plenum chambers are provided, however, all teach the use of a volume chamber mounted away from the intake manifold communicating with the manifold with a line or passageway. The art in this area has advanced the operational characteristic of the internal combustion engine under these conditions, however, there is still room for significant improvement to insure a minimization of shockwaves and pressure waves from interfering with the air-fuel mixture and insure full charging of the combustion chamber.